Aug 25 Tinto Tapas Bar, Southside, Glasgow

I'd been hearing about Tinto Tapas Bar from a few different people (and with the limited amount of people I know in Glasgow, that's saying something) so I was really excited when friends of ours suggested lunch there on Sunday. We took up prime eating position in the window seats.

Tinto has a huge range of deals - Sunday is 3 tapas for £8.95 per head. We ended up with a huge amount of food and it was a real delight to be able to sample so much of the menu. We have written this review together - so don't think that one person ate all this food alone!

Tabla de Embutidos - mixed Spanish meat board with olives

A great range of meats which went well with the Manchego cheese (see below). I've a newfound love of olives and these were lovely, even enjoyed heartily by our 4 year old dining companion.

This was a real highlight of the meal for me and I wish I had of ordered my own portion. The meat was deliciously tender and full of flavour - I can see why our dining companions order this every time they eat here!

This was an obvious choice, as I love chorizo, and would happily have it with anything. The chicken was succulent, and all the different ingredients combined well, although I would have preferred the chorizo to be higher up in the mix of flavours.

The sauce was the highlight of this dish - the onion flavours were strong, but not too overpowering. The rabbit was OK, but didn't leave a great impression; I'm not too sure if I would order this one again.

Gambas pil pil - king prawns with chillies and garlic oil

These prawns were delicious - and a proper size, which is a real delight for me (too many times I have order prawns, only to receive shrimps!). They were succulent and flavoursome, my only qualm would be that they were slightly overcooked for my tastes.

I ordered this purely on the basis of the high praise from Wine Splodge - the idea of celery and cheese wouldn't appeal to me otherwise. I'm so glad I did, the mild taste and slippery texture of the celery was refreshing and set off the sharpness of the cheese perfectly.

Crema Catalana - traditional sweet cream custard topped with caramel

I pride myself on always being the person at the table to order the dish that everyone else envies. It's a skill I have, and I'm proud of it. However, I didn't order the crema catalana and had instant food envy when it arrived at the table. I hate that feeling, that someone is tucking into a really delicious dessert and you went and ordered pancakes.

Tarta di Limon - homemade lemon tart with soft whipped cream

Really, really good this, so good I broke the main tapas rule and didn't share it with my fellow diners! Below the crispy caramelised topping, the lemon tart was of a great consistency and had the right balance of flavour; not too tart (if you pardon the pun), but still with enough of a lemon flavour to make it interesting. The cream was well made as well, and complemented the tart perfectly.

Tortita - saffron pancakes with strawberry and marscarpone ice-cream

The aforementioned pancakes. Luckily for the pancakes, they were soft and delicate and immediately resolved my food envy. These are on the very sweet side so they may not be to everyone's tastes. Don't be mistaken though - next time we visit Tinto I will be ordering the cream catalana!

We enjoyed our lunch at Tinto. It was relaxing, the food was tasty and the service was friendly and quick. Tinto is definitely a place we want to visit again, and their excellent value takeaway deal (3 tapas for £6.95) means we have an exciting new takeaway option for lazy nights at home.